It's My Own Land, Isn't It?

In the minds of most Micronesians, land is a family possession. The government may make its laws, regulate traffic, impose taxes, but it has no right to dictate how individuals or families should use their land. At least that's the feeling among most Micronesians today. This video holds this belief up to the light. In the first of two mini dramas, Joe Micronesia resists the government's attempt to get him to sell his land for a fair price so that water and power can be brought to a nearby village. In the second vignette, a person who believes he is being underpaid for the land he has leased to the school, shuts down the school and forces the government to meet his demands. His neighbor also puts up a rock crusher right next to the school and creates major interference to student learning. Should individuals or families have complete control of their own land? Or should the government, representing the good of the community, have a voice in how this land is used.